5. Network Scan Procedure
The purpose of performing a network scan is to identify all active devices, open ports, running
services, and potential vulnerabilities across the network. This helps in understanding the
overall security posture of the network environment before performing more targeted or host-
level assessments. The network scan provides visibility into what systems are present, how they
communicate, and whether any exposed services or configurations may be exploited by
attackers. By discovering these systems and services, the organization can proactively secure
weak points, reduce attack surface, and prioritize remediation based on risk.
1. Open Nessus Web UI: https://localhost:8834. This is shown below in Figure 2.1.
2. Select new scan and among the options select basic network scan. As shown below in Figure
2.2
3. In basic network scan window, provide a name and description for the scan. This is shown
below in Figure 2.3.
4. In Targets, enter your network range (example: 192.168.1.0/24). As shown below in Figure 2.3
5. Navigate to Settings →Discovery → Enumeration, change to Custom. As shown below in
Figure 2.4
6. Save and navigate to My scans and launch the newly configured network scan. This is shown
below in Figure 2.5
7. You select the basic network scan result then you navigate to report and the format you want
the report to be generated in. In my case I selected CSV and in CSV window you select your
preferred requirement, and you proceed to generate the report. This is shown below in
Figure 2.6